Preparing for Lent

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

What a beautiful day God has blessed us with today!  I’ve spent a good part of the day on hospital calls, and the drives have been quite nice.  It’s hard to believe that this Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent!  The weather seems to be in opposition to the church season!  

Yesterday was Transfiguration Sunday, the day we remember that Jesus displayed His glory to Peter, James and John as He spoke with Moses and Elijah on the mountain top.  We also concluded our series, Missio Dei @ Gloria Dei.  

However, having finished a series talking about God’s Mission does not mean that we’re done talking about what God is doing among us and where He is leading us.  God’s Mission is always central to what we are doing.  We are always mindful of God’s great desire for all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.  

Even in the Transfiguration we see God continuing His mission.  From this point forward Jesus heads toward the cross, where He was sacrificed to reconcile us to God.  It was as they came down from the mountain that Jesus instructed His disciples, “Do not tell anyone what you saw until I have been raised from the dead.”  That “until” is important.  The restriction is lifted, and we are now supposed to tell everyone we can what Jesus has done for us.  

As we step into Lent, it will be a time to remember that the Transfigured Lord came down from the mountain and fulfilled the stipulation necessary for us to share the message that Jesus is God’s beloved son, and He has called us to listen to Him.  He died.  He paid for our sins.  Then He rose, and He is alive forevermore.  

Lent is a penitential season.  It is a time of remembering the bittersweet truth that God loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.  The cost of that life is very high.  The love that moved Jesus to offer himself is very deep.  

During Lent we will meet for worship at 7 p.m. on Wednesday evenings to focus our hearts and minds on repentance and remembering what Jesus has done for us.  The sermons will focus on the letters to the seven churches of Revelation.  On Ash Wednesday we will begin with the letter to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2.  On the Sundays of Lent we will dig into the Old Testament lessons.  (Up to now I’ve preached almost exclusively on the Gospel lessons.  It’s time to pay attention to the rest of the Bible.)  

Jesus doesn’t often show Himself in His glorified form, but He does come to us as the Crucified and Risen One.  Please take time to meditate and pray about what Jesus has done for us across those forty days of Lent.  Ponder His love and passion – that is, His suffering.  Remember your Redeemer in repentance and confidence of the salvation He won for you.  

Yours in Christ,

Pastor T

P.S.  I would be remiss to not mention the Soup Suppers which will be on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. starting on February 29.  (There will be no Soup Supper this Wednesday.)  Come for food and fellowship and stay for worship.